Weft end tucking device



Dec. 31, 1963 R. DEWAS WEFT END TUCKING DEVICE Filed Dec. '7, 1960 INVENTOR:

Gl-Lakoubt gs/ ATTORNEHS United States Patent f 3,115,902 WEFT END TUCKING DEVICE Raymond Dewas, 120 Blvd. de Saint-Quentin, Amiens, Somme, France Filed Dec. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 74,301 Claims priority, application France Dec. 14, 1959 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-124) The invention has reference to the formation of socalled tucked in selvedges on shuttleless weaving looms with weft inserting devices, that is to say, selvedges in which the ends of the weft threads are tucked in.

The invention has for its purpose to ensure the correctformation of such selvedges at very high speeds.

To this effect the invention has for object the combination, with the means provided for folding back the end of the weft which extends beyond the selvedge after the insertion of the next thread and which is intended to be tucked in during the next pass, of means for locating at least at two points the end of the weft in front of the opening of the shed.

For example, the means described and shown in appln cants French Patent No. 1,163,670 can be used for the folding back of the ends of the weft threads. According to this patent, the inserting member is provided with, at least, one part, mounted opposite to the fell, and which when the inserting member enters the shed comes into contact with the end of the weft thread which has just been inserted and folds it back into the new shed; but, equally, other means can be used, as will be specified later on.

As concerns the arrangement for locating the end of the weft thread in front of the entry to the shed, one embodiment to which preference seemingly should be given and which is positioned proximate the selvedge of the fabric near the fell, consists of two blades disposed one in front of the other in the direction of the movement of the fabric. The blades thus lie in inplanes ex tending substantially parallel with the fell of the cloth. The tip of each blade has the shape of a two-pronged fork straddling the marginal warp threads. When the reed moves the fell forward, the two blades are forced together, while when the reed is receding, the blades, due to their resilient construction, separate, and remain a distance apart while supporting in their forked ends the free end of the weft thread which has just been pressed by the reed against the fell of the cloth. The action of the means for folding the end portion of the weft thread back into the shed, takes place then, while next weft thread is being inserted.

These characteristics, as well as others, not yet mentioned, are shown by way of example in the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view from above of an arrangement showing the formation of a tucked-in selvedge in the first phase of operation.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the second phase.

FIGURE 3 also is a similar view showing the third base. p IGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV IV of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow V of FIGURE 2, showing the ends of the forked blades of the locating means, and

FIGURE 6 is a top view of a modification of the fork blades.

In the drawings, 1 are the selvedge threads, 2 the weft threads previously inserted and having their ends tucked in the selvedge, 3 the last weft thread inserted, which constitutes the fell of the cloth and the end 4 of which extends outwardly beyond the selvedge; 5 are the blades of the reed.

Patented Dec. 31, 1963 The Weft end tucking device 6 comprises two elastic or/ and elastically mounted blades 7 and 8 the ends 9 and 10 of which are notched, thus assuming the form of forks having two branches 11, 12 and 13, 14 substantially parallel to the weft threads, between which pass the marginal warp threads 1.

The blade 7 is riveted to the blade 8 at 15.

The weft end locating device is, at its other end 16, substantially parallel to the warp threads; it is mounted on a stationary support 17 forming part of the loom and includes a slanting part 18.

Brushes 19 are supported by a brush carrier 20, shown diagrammatically, attached to an inserting member, not shown. This brush carrier 26 preferably is-inclined as shown in the drawing.

The operation is as follows:

The insertion of the weft thread is regulated so that the related end of the latter extends for a certain length beyond the selvedge.

The reed, during its advancement, pushes the weft thread 3 which has just been inserted into the shed, against the first elastic blade 7 of the weft end locating device, moves this blade into engagement with the blade 8 and pushes the whole of the weft end locating device as the weft thread 3 is progressively moved to the fell and then pressed thereagainst while the end 4 of the weft thread extends outwardly beyond the selvedge (FIG- URE 1).

As the reed begins to recede, the blades 7 and 8 of the weft end locating device, due to their elastic construction, expand, catching the weft thread in the bottom of their notches, causing the end 4 of the weft thread to be bent and conducted to the side of the shed as shown in FIG. 2.

The inserting member, carrying the brushes 19, then enters the shed (FIGURE 2). The first brush engages the end 4 of the weft thread presented and controlled by the weft end locating device and begins to take it towards the opening of the shed. The following brushes, which are progressively longer, enter into contact with the slopmg part 18, and progressively depress the weft end locating device, thus enabling the brushes to engage the end of the weft thread nearer and nearer to the apex of the shed, as the weft and locating device approaches the fell. Towards the end of the movement, at an instant before the last brush 19 enters the shed (FIGURE 3), the weft end locating device reaches a position nearly the same as the position reached during the instant of beat-up.

This procedure enables the end of the weft thread to be correctly tucked-in during the insertion of the next weft thread even at high speed.

As soon as the last brush entering the shed ceases to contact with the weft end locating device, the blades 7 and 8 thereof elastically return to normal position and somewhat reduce the angle of the portion of the shed they straddle, whereby the folded end of the Weft thread is protected up to the beating-up of the next weft thread.

When the loom has temples, which is the most general case, the elastic blades 7 and 8 present the important advantage of occupying very little space at the moment of beating-up of each weft thread or of the entry of the brushes, which enables the temple to be still placed very near to the fell of the cloth.

The brushes, instead of being mounted on the inserting member can be made part of an independent brush carrier actuated by a mechanism ensuring the operation described above.

It is possible to form between the blades the equivalent of a passage for the end of the weft thread by means of a thin membrane of india rubber joining the sides and bottom of the notches, or by a block of plastic sponge material having an outline similar to that of the notches.

In this latter case, the resilient blade 8 may be omitted if need be.

Further, the branches of each of the blades 7 and 8 can be elastically mounted in such a way as to allow the height of the notch to adapt itself automatically to existing work conditions.

In the modification of FIG. 6, the resilient blades 7 and 8 are so shaped as to possibly bear against each other at their split end, and they are secured at their other end for some pivotal movement by a rivet 21 to a resilient supporting blade 22 which is secured by a rivet 23 for pivotal movement to a bracket 24 which, as seen from above, is in the shape of a U into which is engaged a screw mounted in a stationary part of the frame which makes it possible to adjust the position of the device.

The means for tucking-in the end of the weft thread may be constituted by a jet of compressed air that is released instantaneously by a valve.

Clearly the improvements forming the object of the invention can be applied either to only one of the selvedges or to both.

It is understood that it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to conceive variants and improvements in detail, also to make use of equivalent means.

The weft end tucking device, instead of being supported in a position outside the fabric, can be supported in a position above or below the fabric.

In the place of an elastic weft end locating device of the kind described it is possible to make use of one or more members positively actuated in any appropriate manner.

When a selvedge of constant Width isrequired, the end of the weft thread is cut to correct length before it is tucked into the selvedge; it is also possible to project on one of the faces of the fabric the excess length of the tucked end and by means of a hook that is passed vertically between the warp threads before the return of the sley and which is withdrawn before the beating-up of the next weft thread, the excess length being shaved olf later.

The bottom of the notch in the hook is arranged to exercise tractive effort on the tucked-in end. The notch of the hook can include a cutting part that trims the excess length and be so designed as to take the cut part out of the shed.

A suction tube, integral with or independent of the hook, can be provided to suck up the cut part.

Thehook is operated, for example, by the same mechanism as that actuating the plunger 8 in the US. patent application Ser. No. 817,226, filed June 1, 1959, by the same applicant and the tip of the hook can include an inclined part similarly to the tip of the plunger.

What I claim is:

1. In a shuttleless loom having means for inserting a weft thread across the shed with an end thereof extending partly beyond the selvedge, and a reed moving toward and away from the fell of the fabric for beating-up the inserted weft thread, a weft end tucking device comprising a pair of blades connected together at one end and extending in. mutually adjacent spaced apart relationship, said blades having notches at their free ends for embracing some of the warp threads in the selvedge, means carried in the loom for supporting said blades in a position straddling the shed substantially parallel to the fell of the fabric and in the path of the reed whereby said blades are moved into engagement and toward the fell of the fabric by the reed when it beats-up the inserted weft thread, said blades moving away from the fell when the reed moves away from the fell of the fabric whereby the notches in said blades engage the end of the inserted weft thread, and brush means carried by the loom and adapted to reciprocate in and out of the shed in contact with said blades for folding the end of the inserted weft thread back into the selvedge.

2. A weft end tucking device in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said blades is a substantially flat member and the other blade is an angled member having a portion extending parallel to the first blade and a portion bent in the direction of the first blade.

3. A weft end tucking device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said brush means comprises a brush carrier adapted to reciprocate in and out of the shed, and a plurality of aligned brushes carried by said brush carrier, said brushes having a progressively increasing length in a direction away from the shed.

4. A weft end tucking device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said blades are made of a resilient material.

5. A weft end tucking device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said brush means reciprocate in a direction parrallel to that of the weft threads.

6. In a shuttleless loom having means for inserting weft thread across the shed with an outer end thereof extending partly beyond the selvedge and a reed for beating up the inserted weft thread against the fell of the fabric, a weft end tucking device comprising means having two notched blade ends located in the path of the reed and movable into engagement and toward the fell of the fabric by the reed when it beats up the inserted weft thread and moving apart and away from the fell when the reed moves out of the fell to receive said outer end of an inserted weft thread, and means intermittently contacting one of said blade ends for folding said outer end of the inserted weft thread back into the selvedge,.

7. A weft end tucking device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the second-mentioned means consist of two leaf springs, said blade ends constituting two adjacent ends of said leaf springs, said leaf springs being interconnected at their opposite ends.

8. In a shuttleless loom having means for inserting a weft thread across the shed with an end thereof extending partly beyond the selvedge, and a reed moving toward and away from the fell of the fabric for beating-up the inserted weft thread, a weft end tucking device comprising a pair of blades connected together at one end and extending in mutually adjacent spaced apart relationship, said blades having notches at their free ends for embracing some of the warp threads in the selvedge, means carried in the loom for supporting said blades in a position straddling the shed substantially parallel to the fell of the fabric and in the path of the reed whereby said blades are moved into engagement and toward the fell of the fabric by the reed when it beats-up the inserted weft thread, said blades moving away from the fell when the reed moves away from the fell of the fabric whereby the notches in said blades engage the end of the inserted weft thread, and means carried by the loom and adapted to reciprocate in and out of the shed in contact with said blades for folding the end of the inserted weft thread back into the selvedge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,426,351 Brooks Aug. 22, 1922 1,948,051 Rossmann Feb. 20, 1934 2,170,770 Sullivan Aug. 22, 1939 2,267,287 Moessinger Dec. 23, 1941 2,839,090 Webber et al. June 17, 1958 2,849,029 Webber et al. Aug. 26, 1958 2,865,405 Pfarrwaller Dec. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,103,670 France May 25, 1955 

6. IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM HAVING MEANS FOR INSERTING WEFT THREAD ACROSS THE SHED WITH AN OUTER END THEREOF EXTENDING PARTLY BEYOND THE SELVEDGE AND A REED FOR BEATING UP THE INSERTED WEFT THREAD AGAINST THE FELL OF THE FABRIC, A WEFT END TUCKING DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS HAVING TWO NOTCHED BLADE ENDS LOCATED IN THE PATH OF THE REED AND MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT AND TOWARD THE FELL OF THE 